Beyond the Veto

Gifkins, Jess

doi:10.1163/19426720-02701003

Cited by 18 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Most substantive Council diplomacy takes place in private and informally – it is a common complaint among diplomats in New York that the body's public meetings and even its closed consultations are generally formalistic, with real negotiations taking place behind the scenes – and the processes involved are murky. As others have noted, our knowledge of how Council decisions are made is often “rudimentary” (Gifkins, 2021, 5). While scholars such as Courtney Fung have offered detailed narratives of Chinese diplomacy at the UN over crises such as the Darfur conflict and the Syrian war, we still have only patchy glimpses of China's behavior in the Council (Fung, 2019).…”

Section: China's Evolving Profile In the Security Councilmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These relate to what Barnett and Duvall define as “institutional power” within an international organisation: The capacity to use “sets of rules, procedures and norms” to shape outcomes that other actors are obliged to accept (Barnett & Duvall, 2005, 53). Jess Gifkins has usefully noted that the permanent members of the Council exert their institutional power in the Council through “drafting [resolutions and other Council products] and agenda setting” (Gifkins, 2021, 5). Yet, as Gifkins notes, only three of the five (United Kingdom, France and the United States) take full advantage of these tools.…”

Section: Analyzing Power In the Security Councilmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Accommodation available: China, Western powers and the operation of structural power in theUNSecurity Council

Gowan

2024

Global Policy

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This article focuses on the way that China and the main Western states on the United Nations Security Council have pursued “mutual accommodation” as China's geopolitical weight has grown in recent years. China still only rarely uses its veto and typically avoids taking responsibility for drafting Council products. Western powers are nonetheless careful to acknowledge and accommodate China's interests wherever possible, through tactics like watering down proposed Council products and avoiding confrontational meetings. China reciprocates by not blocking Western actions outright, but can take advantage of Western caution to gain leverage in the Council. In light of their toxic relationship with Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France see avoiding a strategic breakdown in their relations with China as in their strategic interests. Overall, the article highlights how the structural power inherent in the mutual constitution of the capacities and identities of the permanent members of the Security Council influences the social relations of the members and helps them to reach a compromise over many challenging issues The article illustrates this argument with detailed examples from Council diplomacy over Myanmar and Ukraine.

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Section: China's Evolving Profile In the Security Councilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Analyzing Power In the Security Councilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accommodation available: China, Western powers and the operation of structural power in theUNSecurity Council

Gowan

2024

Global Policy

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“…There have been several proposals to expand the number of states possessing the veto power in the Security Council, the G4 proposal with a total of 25 members and 6 additional permanent seats [25]. And the African Union proposal is considering the establishment of six new non-permanent seats for African countries as well as the creation of two new permanent seats with veto power specifically allocated to African nations are some of the most notable proposals [26][27][28].…”

Section: Expanding the Number Of States With Vetomentioning

confidence: 99%

How Should The United Nations Security Council be Reformed to Better Ensure International Peace and Security?

Shao,

Li,

Wang

et al. 2024

LNEP

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Concerning its original mandates and with consideration to its original aims, the United Nations Security Council has largely failed to fulfill its duty and hence has become ineffective. According to the two "timeless procedural obstacles": veto and membership concluded by Weiss, the permanent members are abusing their veto privilege, rendering the UNSC ineffective, while the current geopolitical landscape of the current and future world is not represented within the Council, which was established and fixed since 1945. Both problems are increasingly relevant in our multipolar, globalized 21st Century world. Based on these two main factors, the Security Council has been unable to effectively accomplish its paramount duty of maintaining international peace and security. Problems exposed by the Security Council desperately need practical, persistent, and immediate solutions and reforms as the world tries its best to prevent tensions from developing into regional and global conflicts. However, the future of the Security Council represents a gloomy picture. Unfortunately, proposals that can be potentially adopted will not effectively address the underlying problems, and recommendations aimed at addressing these problems are not likely to pass the legal barriers outlined in the United Nations Charter. Reforming the Security Council is a long and winding road. With the current level of global consensus, it won't be easy to see the United Nations Security Council reformed and reconstructed.

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A Viable World in the Anthropocene: Living Together in the Common Home of Planet Earth

Scheffran,

Schürmann,

Weber

et al. 2024

Anthr. Sci.

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As the world's population continues to surge, the earth's ecological limits are being stretched. Some of the major threats to habitability stem from the pursuit of perpetual economic growth, and power struggles among nations, leading to ecological and social destruction and ongoing crises. A shift toward wiser earth management could enhance habitability through collective strategies within a global political framework. Key components include adopting renewable energy, limiting ecological footprints, fostering clean prosperity, and promoting peaceful coexistence among nations. Our survival hinges on embracing cooperative security and transitioning toward a collective approach to governance, redirecting resources from militarization toward protection of the global commons. This necessitates international collaboration and democratic participation across temporal and spatial scales, facilitated by a UN-led framework. We believe science should play a crucial role in developing common strategies for a viable world, contingent upon decision-makers prioritizing global cooperation over narrow short-term self-interest. Scientists and policymakers can work together, creating more viable futures through international cooperation and a move away from violence. Moreover, citizens have an important role to play by changing their lifestyles and supporting measures mentioned in this paper.

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Beyond the Veto

Cited by 18 publications

References 30 publications

Accommodation available: China, Western powers and the operation of structural power in theUNSecurity Council

Accommodation available: China, Western powers and the operation of structural power in theUNSecurity Council

How Should The United Nations Security Council be Reformed to Better Ensure International Peace and Security?

A Viable World in the Anthropocene: Living Together in the Common Home of Planet Earth

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